How to take control of your weight loss & getting back in shape

Below are the biggest concepts to understand and remember, which will help you to take back control…concepts which help me to stay in control:

Accept the fact that you will not be perfect, you will never be in control 100% of the time, and that there will ALWAYS be ups and downs/good days and bad days/peaks and valleys

Sometimes you fall off your horse, you trip and stumble, you get out of your workout rhythm, your treadmill or bike starts to collect dust. It seems like you have memorial day celebrations every single weekend, you always have family in town, and are at get-togethers with lots and LOTS of food. I get it, trust me; I’m Filipino and the only way we know how to throw a party is to have tons of food and Karaoke. These are social meals which we identify as a cultural acceptance, almost to a point where food symbolizes family and love.

We all know moderation should be key, we all know what happens to our bodies when we eat that extra piece of cheesecake, or have that extra piece of crispy lechon skin. WE KNOW, WE KNOW, WE KNOW…and sometimes we are “good” and can stay away from it all together, or even limit it to a small amount. BUT, there are those times where you lose control, you get carried away, and you just let go. Of course we try not to get to that point, but there is something worse than actually indulging in the fatty, greasy, super sugary foods. The worse part is, giving up. We haven’t worked out for weeks, we were planning on starting to eat better this weekend, and because we couldn’t resist the chicken and waffles we mentally break down. We say to ourselves “this is too hard, I can’t be perfect with my eating, I can’t be perfect with working out.” We can’t workout sometimes because of our jobs, taking care of the little ones, injuries, etc. Our daily stresses of life might prevent us from working out, and then in turn the stress piles on because we haven’t found time to workout.

Does any of this sound familiar? If so, don’t be ashamed…take comfort in it, because it is NORMAL. You are in the same boat as everyone else. You won’t always make the best choices in life, but you try your hardest to make as many of the right ones as possible. I didn’t get to 3.0 status because I was perfect. I got to 3.0 because I fell…I fell hard…I fell hard multiple times…but I got up. You learn from each mistake, you grow from every experience of getting back up. You take responsibility for your actions…not just with your weekend eating binges or lack of workouts, but with life.

– You get sick and can’t go into your job? You make up the hours and make up the tasks by putting in extra time.

– You ate 10 times in one day to celebrate your beautiful cousin’s wedding? Then let’s make a plan to workout Monday night, even if it’s a walk through your neighborhood or walking up and down the stairs in your house 20 times.

“Ups and downs/good days and bad days/peaks and valleys.” We have our off days, but that means we will have our on days. When the waves are high, you ride the hell out of that sucker and you savor every second. I’m an avid promoter of living life to the fullest…being passionate about every single thing imaginable, enjoying every single experience, and loving every unpredictable day. Do something good? Celebrate it! Something awesome happen today or this weekend? Do a little dance, and let out a “WHOOOOO!”

Quick 7 Day Challenge: You have 7 days to get in one workout….It could be 30 minutes or it could be 3 minutes, I don’t care. Just get it done. BUT, once you do get it done, you have to do a little shimmy, walk with some swagger, and yell…”I DID THAT!!!!” See the tutorial from Samuel L Jackson below.

**PS – This post is dedicated to all my family I got to see this weekend, especially all my Aunties and Uncles that read my blog and stalk me on facebook =P **